


Day 7 -- Mask

by Flamebird38



Series: 31 Days of Apex [7]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25140424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamebird38/pseuds/Flamebird38
Summary: Bangalore, the Legends, and all of the Outlands want to know what Bloodhound looks like under their mask. How does everyone start to react when it accidentally gets blown off during a match?
Series: 31 Days of Apex [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811551
Kudos: 30





	Day 7 -- Mask

Just about everything you did in the arena was documented. There are cameras left and right. They’re in your face, up your ass, and everywhere in between. As someone who values their privacy, it can be an utter nightmare when I have a lens focusing on something as simple as sorting bullets.

For some Legends, it’s not a problem. Mirage is a publicity floozy, not extra sweat for him. Gibraltar and Lifeline both just enjoy making people smile. What better way than actually talking to the camera? I mean, it’s like they’re just chatting with the Outlands after all. 

For other legends, it is even more of an aggravation for them then it is for me. Crypto found a way to pixelate his entire image so no one knows what he looks like or what he’s up to. I tried to bribe Hacker Boy into doing the same for me a couple of matches ago, but all he did was send his drone to me with a sticky note on it with the word “No.” When Caustic got annoyed by them, all he had to do was detonate his gas and it would eat away at the metal in seconds. On rare occasions, I’ve seen him reach out and crush them with his hands. How a psycho like him can still have a delicate enough touch to mix chemicals is beyond me. 

Even more still, no one tries to avoid them more than Bloodhound. I don’t think I’ve met anyone more protective of their personal life than Bloodhound is. While they will go and do just about anything as long as they’re in their mask, too many people are trying too hard to see what the “real” Bloodhound looks like. That’s what sends them into a life of living in nature, a life of solitude. So, when I do get teamed with them, the frustration is all too real when camera drones are around every corner we turn.

“Dammit, when are these things going to leave us alone?” I growl, swatting one away like the fly it is. “All we’ve been doing is walking to the next circle. What could we possibly be doing that’s even remotely entertaining?”

Wraith scoffs at me. “I would think after all these years in the IMC you would have gotten used to being spied on all the time.”

I glare at her. While we held a mutual respect for each other, friendliness was hard to come by. All she remembers about herself is that she was tested on by the IMC. And all she cares to see me as is an IMC hive mind grunt. 

“They sometimes seem to sense vhat ve do not,” Bloodhound says. Their tone hard as if a mother was speaking to her two squabbling children.

“Well if anyone was nearby, Miss Infinite Number of Opinions over here would have said something by now.” My tone even harsher than the other two.

“Perhaps the viewers just enjoy vatching children bicker, hm?” 

“We’re not bickering, BH. We’re—” Wraith is cut off by a near missed kraber shot. 

We all dive for cover. I barely peek, trying to see where the sniper is. I’d complain that one of the gazillion other Wraiths didn’t warn us, but the shot was aimed at me. So, in all honesty, why would they say anything? Just as I’m about to suggest a spot to run to so we can get our bearings, I notice a small grenade-like device land near my feet.

Fuck. Not Gibraltar.

Before I can even yell about the next assault, bombs start raining down on us. Hard. With each explosion, I can feel myself slipping further and further into no man’s land. The heat burns my skin even though I’m wearing several layers. It’s not long until my shields are gone, and I can feel the bombs eating away at my health. 

I look for Wraith. She had been able to phase out of the bombardment zone just in time. Trying to see through the smoke even more, I try to find Bloodhound. I notice some movement not too far from me behind a shipping container. Coughing from the immense amounts of smoke, I try to make my way over to my squadmate.

As I almost reach their location, I notice several camera drones speeding their way to Bloodhound. As I get closer, I notice that their iconic cap is several feet away. Getting closer still, I notice a small patch of blond hair. When the smoke finally starts to clear, I notice that their mask had been blown off by the explosions and is now lying next to them.

Bloodhound is on their knees, shielding their face as best as they can, not moving. While I know Gibby’s team is going to start pushing any second, this was no time to ask Bloodhound to give up the privacy they fought so hard to keep. I slide to them, swatting away one of the camera drones. 

“Hound, are you good?” I try to position my body to block as much of the view as possible.

“As vell as v-one can be.” They don’t look up, their voice muffled by their hands. Their balaclava is halfway off their head, and I have a feeling it’s still slipping. 

“Here, take this.” I unstrap my only good shoulder pad left. I start to fashion it on their face. While it’s not the most conventional mask, it’ll cover them. And that’s all we can ask for right now. “Wraith, can you portal us out?”

As if on cue, Wraith opens a portal for the two of us. I push Bloodhound through, not waiting on them to protest. I quickly collect BH’s mask and cap and slip through myself. The portal takes us to a nearby shed that has no windows and only two doors. Wraith and I each take a door, shielding it from the outside world. 

Bloodhound huddles in a corner, meticulously putting their headgear back on. I would question how they could do it without a mirror, but I assume they do it so often now it’s like second nature. After a short while, Bloodhound turns back around. They hand me my shoulder pad back as they pull up the last corner of their mask and secure it. I catch a glimpse of a blue eye with an old scar running through it. Maybe they did it without thinking or maybe they did it on purpose. Either way, it doesn't ease my curiosity like I wished it would.

“Thank you,” they simply say. “May the gods bless you.”

“Just doin’ what any squadmate would do.” I squeeze their shoulder. “But now I got a question for you. Now that you have your mask back, you ready to go into beast mode?”


End file.
